Parallel Media Encoder Parallel Media Encoder

Encode faster. In parallel.

Put your Mac to full use, leverage every media engine to get time back in your workflow.

Download Free Buy Now — $39

Free tier includes batch queue and 2 simultaneous encodes. No credit card required. Unlock full parallel for $39.

Parallel Media Encoder Pro showing source panel, video preview, and encoding queue
Why Parallel Encoding?

What would you do with the extra time?

01

Get to editing faster

Spend less time waiting on transcodes and more time in your timeline.

02

Wrap up set quicker after final offload

Process the final offload faster and get everyone home sooner.

03

Deliver dailies before the morning meeting

Batch encodes that finish in time, even when new clips come in minutes before a dailies screening.

What users say

Parallel Media Encoder feels like the first transcoding software that was actually built by someone who uses transcoding software. Oh, and it's fast. Really fast.

Brian Chahley, CEO of Streamwell

Brian Chahley

CEO, Streamwell

Ready to save time?

Buy Now — $39

Built for professionals

Everything you need for high-volume transcoding, designed for Apple Silicon from the ground up.

Parallel Encoding

Encode 2–10 files simultaneously — 39% faster in benchmarks. Hardware-aware scheduling adapts to your Apple Silicon chip, from MacBook Neo to M3 Ultra.

Professional Codecs

H.264, H.265, and the full ProRes family included free. DNxHR/DNxHD and camera RAW encoding with Pro.

Color Science

HDR pass-through and tone mapping included. 3D LUT application and RAW exposure control with Pro.

Why parallel encoding is faster

Your Apple Silicon Mac has dedicated hardware media engines built for video encoding. Traditional transcoders only use one at a time — the rest sit idle. Parallel Media Encoder keeps them all busy.

Traditional (Sequential)

Slow
File 1
File 2
File 3
File 4
File 5
File 6
File 7
File 8

Each file waits its turn. 197 seconds.

Parallel Media Encoder

39% faster
File 1
File 2
File 3
File 4
File 5
File 6
File 7
File 8

All 8 files encode at once. 119 seconds.

Benchmark Apple M4 Max · 8 × 60s 4K MXF → H.265
39 %
Faster
78s saved per batch
Sequential
197s
Parallel
119s
Scale up
100 clips sequential → ~41 min
100 clips parallel → ~25 min (~16 min saved)
See full benchmark details →

Complete control over every encode

  • Quality modes — Automatic, Manual Bitrate, or VBR Two-Pass encoding
  • Resolution & rotation — keep source resolution or scale to custom dimensions, with 90/180/270° rotation
  • Frame rate conversion — match source or set a custom frame rate
  • HDR pass-through — preserve HDR metadata or tone map to SDR
  • Audio options — pass-through or re-encode to AAC, FLAC, Opus, and more
Encoding output settings showing codec, quality mode, resolution, and audio configuration

See how we compare

Parallel Media Encoder delivers features that other transcoders don't.

Feature Parallel Media Encoder HandBrake EditReady
Parallel Encoding 2–10 simultaneous No Yes
Hardware Acceleration Apple Silicon media engines Limited (VideoToolbox) Limited
ProRes Output Full familyProxy to 4444 XQ with alpha passthrough No Yes
DNxHR / DNxHD Output Yes (Pro) No Yes
RAW Input (BRAW, R3D, ProRes RAW) Yes (Pro) No Yes ($149 Pro)
Standard 8-bit H.264 / H.265 Output Yes Yes Yes
H.265 Output Control (8/10-bit, 4:2:0/4:2:2) Yes — you choose No Pass-through only
3D LUT Support Yes (Pro) No Yes
Custom Presets Yes (Pro) Yes No
Video Rotation Yes No No
Timecode Overlay Yes (Pro) No Yes
Metadata Preview Yes No No
Metadata Pass-through Yes No No
Watch Folders Yes (Pro) No Yes ($149 Pro)
Insta360 Metadata Pass-through Yes No No
HDR Support Pass-through + tone mapping Limited Limited
Price Free / $39 Pro Buy Now — $39 Free $49 / $149 Pro

Optimized for your chip

Parallel Media Encoder detects your Apple Silicon chip tier and automatically configures the optimal number of simultaneous encodes — no manual tuning required.

Learn more about parallel encoding
MacBook Neo / M1–M5 Base
Up to 2 simultaneous encodes
M1–M5 Pro
Up to 4 simultaneous encodes
M1–M5 Max
Up to 8 simultaneous encodes
M1–M3 Ultra
Up to 10 simultaneous encodes

Every codec you need

From camera RAW to delivery formats — Parallel Media Encoder handles your entire post-production pipeline.

Input Formats

ProRes H.264 (GoPro, DJI, Canon, iPhone) H.265 / HEVC (GoPro, DJI, Canon, iPhone) MXF (Sony FX3/FX6/FX9, Panasonic P2) Insta360 (.insv / .lrv) Blackmagic RAW Pro RED R3D RAW Pro ProRes RAW Pro

Output Codecs

H.264 H.265 / HEVC HEVC Main10 4:2:2 Pro ProRes 422 Proxy ProRes 422 LT ProRes 422 ProRes 422 HQ ProRes 4444 ProRes 4444 XQ DNxHR LB Pro DNxHR SQ Pro DNxHR HQ Pro DNxHR HQX Pro DNxHR 444 Pro DNxHD LB Pro DNxHD SQ Pro DNxHD HQ Pro DNxHD HQX Pro DNxHD 444 Pro

Frequently asked questions

Is Parallel Media Encoder free?
Yes. The free version includes H.264, HEVC, and ProRes encoding with full settings control. You can queue up to 8 files and encode 2 simultaneously. Upgrade to Pro ($39, one-time) to unlock full chip-tier parallel encoding, DNx output, camera RAW encoding, 3D LUTs, custom presets, and more.
What Apple Silicon chips are supported?
Parallel Media Encoder runs on all Apple Silicon Macs — from MacBook Neo (A18 Pro) through M1–M5 Base, Pro, Max, and Ultra chips. The app detects your chip and automatically sets the optimal number of simultaneous encodes.
How many files can I encode at once?
With Pro, you can encode 2–10 files simultaneously depending on your chip: MacBook Neo and M1–M5 Base support 2, M1–M5 Pro supports 4, M1–M5 Max supports 8, and M1–M3 Ultra supports 10. In real benchmarks on an M4 Max, parallel encoding was 39% faster than sequential.
What codecs does Parallel Media Encoder support?
Output: H.264 (all profiles), H.265/HEVC, the full ProRes family (Proxy through 4444 XQ), and DNxHR/DNxHD (Pro). Input: ProRes, H.264, H.265, MXF containers (Sony FX3/FX6/FX9, Panasonic P2), Insta360 (.insv/.lrv), plus Blackmagic RAW, RED R3D, and ProRes RAW (Pro).
What's the difference between Free and Pro?
Free includes H.264, HEVC, ProRes output, built-in presets, video preview, batch queue (up to 8 files), and 2 simultaneous encodes. Pro ($39, one-time purchase) unlocks full chip-tier parallel encoding (up to 10 simultaneous), DNx output, HEVC Main10 4:2:2, ProRes alpha pass-through, camera RAW encoding, 3D LUT support, timecode/text overlays, custom presets, watch folders, and RAW exposure control.
Does Parallel Media Encoder support watch folders?
Yes. With Pro, you can set up watch folders that automatically transcode new files as they arrive. Assign a preset, set a polling interval (1–60 minutes), and the app handles the rest. Watch folders work with local drives and network shares — great for shared post-production storage where multiple editors are dropping files.

Start free, upgrade when you're ready

Download and start transcoding immediately. Unlock parallel encoding, DNx, RAW, and more with Pro.

Free

$0
  • H.264 / HEVC / ProRes output
  • Batch queue (up to 8 files)
  • 2 simultaneous encodes
  • Built-in presets
  • Video preview & drag-and-drop
  • Auto-updates
  • No DNx, RAW encode, LUTs, or overlays
Download Free
Early Adopter Price

Pro

$39 $79
  • Everything in Free, plus:
  • Parallel encoding (2–10 simultaneous)
  • DNxHR & DNxHD output (all variants)
  • RAW encode (BRAW, R3D, ProRes RAW)
  • HEVC Main10 4:2:2 & ProRes alpha
  • 3D LUT & overlay burn-in
  • Custom presets (save/edit/export/import)
  • Watch folders (auto-transcode new files)
  • RAW exposure control
Buy Now — $39

One-time purchase. No subscription.

Full feature comparison

Feature Free Pro
Batch transcode queue 8 queued, 2 concurrent Full chip-tier concurrency
H.264 (all profiles)
HEVC Main / Main10
HEVC Main10 4:2:2
ProRes (Proxy–4444 XQ)
ProRes alpha pass-through
DNx (all variants)
RAW codecs (BRAW, R3D, ProRes RAW) Import & preview only
LUT support
Timecode/text overlay burn-in
Custom presets
Watch folders
Built-in presets
RAW exposure control
Auto-updates

Ready to encode faster?

Download Parallel Media Encoder for free and upgrade when you need parallel power.

Download Free

Requires macOS 14.5 or later. Apple Silicon required.

macOS app · Get the link by email